Easy Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream

In my department at work, we have a little party every month to celebrate the birthdays for that particular month. We used to be really boring and just have everybody chip in some money to buy ice cream and cookies. A few years ago, we decided to shake things up a bit and assign each month to two people. Those partners are then responsible for bringing in whatever their hearts desire for their assigned birthday month. This is so much more fun because it tends to bring out competitive streaks as people try to one-up the previous month.

My month is February, and I’ve been paired with the same guy, Tim, for a few years. He’s not a wizard baker, so I typically handle the baked goods, and he usually buys ice cream. One year we (I) did whoopie pies, another year tiramisu, another year cheesecake. This year, I wanted to turn the tables a bit, and I decided to make ice cream and let Tim handle the baked goods. That’s right. Gettin’ real crazy up in the hizzy!

The conversation went something like this:

Me: “Tim, for the birthday celebration this year, you can handle the baked goods, and I’m going to make ice cream.”

Tim: “You’re going to make ice cream?”

Me: “Yes.”

Tim, with a bit more wide-eyed incredulity: “You’re going to make ice cream?”

As if making ice cream was equivalent to rocket science or performing brain surgery. Trust me, it’s not. Sure, some recipes are a little more involved than others, but this Easy Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream I’m sharing with you today is probably the easiest churn ice cream I’ve made. So super simple! No need to fire up the stovetop. No eggs to temper. The base is just five ingredients, and all you need is your blender and ice cream maker to pull it together.

To pack the ice cream, you can use whatever type of container suits your needs. I like to use traditional white pint containers, but you could use a loaf pan or a freezer-safe plastic container, too. The recipe makes about 2 pints (1 quart), so keep that in mind as you’re choosing your container.

Once the ice cream is churned, mix in those delicious peanut butter cups! You can use chopped up miniature peanut butter cups, or Reese’s minis work really well, too. No unwrapping and no chopping equals less effort. (My only word of caution on the minis would be if you’re gluten-free. According to the Hershey’s website, the Reese’s minis are not gluten-free, but the standard Miniatures are.) Then layer the ice cream in your container and alternate with the chocolate syrup. You’ll end up with chocolate peanut butter cups and rich chocolate syrup in every bite! Absolutely mouthwatering!

Celebrate the coming of spring and warmer weather with this Easy Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream! Soooo much easier than rocket science!

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Easy Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream

Course:
Ice Cream

Servings: 1quart

Author: Adapted from The Perfect Scoop

Ingredients

Ice Cream Base

¾cupcreamy peanut butter

¾cupplus 2 tablespoons sugar

2 2/3cupshalf-and-half

1/8teaspoonvanilla extract

Pinch of salt

Mix-ins

1 ½cupschopped peanut butter cups

Chocolate syrup

Instructions

Puree the peanut butter, sugar, half-and-half, salt, and vanilla in a blender until smooth.

Pour the mixture into a plastic zip bag and chill in the refrigerator for 6-8 hours.

Freeze the ice cream base in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

After the ice cream is done churning, use a spatula to mix the peanut butter cups into the ice cream.

Layer the ice cream in your container, alternating with desired amount of chocolate syrup. Place a piece of parchment paper on top of the ice cream before sealing with a lid.